Foot-rest.



'No. 692330. Patentedlan. 28, I902.

F. a. SMEDL EY;

FOOT BEST.

(Application filed. July 25, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

FREDERIG G. SMEDLEY, OF NEE/V YORK, N. Y.

FOOT-REST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 692,080, dated January 28, 1902.

Application filed July 25,1901. Serial No. 69,716. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERIO G; SMEDLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county ofNew York,State of New York, have invented a new and useful Foot-Rest, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to provide foot-rests for use in cleaning and polishing shoes, either provided with standards or capable of attachment to foot-rests already in use, and which-shall be so constructed as to provide means for retaining the foot against lateral movement when the shoe is tilted over on either edge of the sole, as when cleaning or polishing the opposite edge of the sole or under the arch of the foot.

With this end in view I have devised the simple and novel foot-rest whichl will now describe, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and using reference characters to designate the several parts.

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a form of my novel foot-rest formed integral with or rigidly secured to a standard. Figs. 2, 3, 4c,

and 5 are plan views illustrating different specific forms of my novel foot-rest, and Fig. 6 is a secton on the line 6 6 in Fig. 4..

A denotes my novelfoot-rest as a whole, the essential features of which are a heel-plate 20, a sole-plate 21, a shoulder 22, against which the frontof the heel bears in ordinary use, and a lateral support B, depressed below the normal plane of the rest1l. 6., below the plane of the sole-plate or the heel-plate, or both, as preferred-by which the shoe is retained againstlateral movement when tilled over on either edge of the sole.

It is of course well understood that the cleaning and polishing of shoes have become such an absolute requirement under modern conditions as to become an occupation in itself and call for fixtures more or less pretentious. The one indispensable elementin all styles of fixtures is, of course, the foot-rest, which is commonly made smaller than the smallest shoe likely to be operated upon, so that both the sole and the heel of the shoe will overhang the plate. The shape and small size of the foot-rests commonly in use make it exceedingly awkward and inconvenient for the person whose shoes are being operated upon to keep the foot in position under the most favorable circumstances, and very much more so when, as is commonly the case, the operator finds it desirable to tilt the foot over so that it will rest upon the edge of the sole and expects his patron to retain it there by an exercise of physical strength.

Mypresentinventionprovidesalateralsupport for the lower edge of the sole located below the plane of the sole-plate, so as not to be in the way to the slightest extent when the foot is resting directly upon the sole-plate. It should be understood that my invention is not limited to any special design of lateral support, it being simply required that the lateral support be depressed belowthe plane of the sole-plate, and, if preferred,theheel-plate also, and adapted to support the foot when the shoe is tilted in either direction, but wholly unimportant just how the support is formed.

In the form illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2the depressed lateral support consists specifically of a depression 23 in the sole-plate, either of whose side walls or one of the side walls in connection with the bottom supports the foot laterally when the foot is tilted. Suppose, for example, that the left side of either shoe is to be cleaned or polished. The shoe may be tilted so that the right edge of the sole will rest on the bottom of the depression, and the bottom of the sole near the edge will rest against the upper edge of the depression, as it is seen in Fig. 2. If the right side of the shoe is to be cleaned or polished, that side will naturally be raised, the left edge of the sole resting upon the bottom of the depression near the lower edge, as seen in Fig. 2, and the bottom of the sole near the left edge resting against the lower side wall, as seen in Fig. 2.

In the form illustrated in Fig. 3 the lateral support consists of a channel or depression 24,

extending longitudinally of the entire rest-- 9 that is, longitudinally both 'of the heel-plate and the sole-plate. This depression may be rounded or substantially V-shaped, as preferred.

In the form illustrated in Figs. 4: and 6 the lateral support consists of a channel or depression extending longitudinally of the entire rest and having a raised central rib 25, against which the bottom of the sole near the edge, rests when the heel is tilted.

In the form illustrated in Fig. 5 the lateral support comprises a channel 24: extending longitudinally of the heel-plate, and a depression 26 in the sole-plate, which is preferably curved slightly from end to end and made V- shaped in cross-section. I

In Fig. 1 I have shown the foot restas made integral with or rigidly secured to a standard 0. By that -I mean that the parts may be cast in a single piece, as shown in the drawings,or, if preferred,they may be blanked out from sheet metal and riveted together.

In Figs. 2 to 6, inclusive, I have illustrated a foot-rest provided with lugs or straps D D to adapt it for. attachment to a foot-rest al-' ready in use by bending the lugs downward around the foot-rest. In Figs. 2, 3, and 5 I are made separate from the foot-rest and secured thereto, as by rivets 27.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A device of the character described comprising a heel-plate, a sole-plate, a shoulder to form a front bearing for the heel and a lateral support for the shoe consisting of a 1ongitudinal depression having-a raised central rib against which the bottom of the sole near the edge may rest when the shoe is tilted.

2. A device of the character described comprising a heel-plate, a sole-plate, a shoulder to form a front bearing for the heel and a support to prevent lateral movement of the shoe when tilted, said heel-plate and sole-plate being provided with lugs whereby the rest may be attached to a rest already in use by bending the lugs around the foot-rest.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERIC G. SMEDLEY.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN J'. OGRADY, GEORGE A. LACOS, Jr.- 

